The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
OTAs start today as penalty is served
Excessive contact last year costs team three sessions.
The Falcons will start their organized team activities (non-contact practices) today, a week behind most other teams because they were cited for excessive contact last season.
The team had three OTA sessions taken away by the NFL. In addition to today, they will practice on Thursday and Friday, June 5-6 and June 8-9. The mandatory minicamp will be June 13-15.
Training camp is slated to start in late July.
The battle to replace right guard Chris Chester and fullback Patrick DiMarco will now start. Also, new coordinators Steve Sarkisian and Marquand Manuel will get a chance to put their full units on the field for 11-on-11 drills for the first time.
Here are five things to watch this week:
1. Excessive contact: The Falcons must watch the excessive contact that they were flagged for last season.
Seattle was cited as a repeat offender and lost a fifth-round pick in the 2017 draft, with the team fined $400,000 and coach Pete Carroll fined $200,000. Baltimore was also cited for violating the rule.
The league noted that voluntary offseason workout programs are intended to provide training, teaching and physical conditioning for players. The intensity and tempo of drills should be at a level conducive to learning, with player safety as the highest priority, and not at a level where one player is in a physical contest with another player.
2. Right guard battle: The Falcons must replace right guard Chester.
Rookie Sean Harlow, who was selected in the fourth round of the draft out of Oregon State, started making his case during the team’s rookie minicamp.
The Falcons have little experience among the holdover candidates at right guard. Harlow will compete with Wes Schweitzer and Ben Garland. They have the advantage of time in the system — Schweitzer was drafted in the seventh round in 2016 and Garland was signed from the practice squad in December 2015. But Schweitzer has played zero NFL snaps and Garland played 42 offensive snaps last season.
Harlow moves to guard after he played offensive tackle at Oregon State. His size (6 feet 4, 303 pounds) and athletic ability aren’t ideal for playing tackle in the NFL, but he could be effective inside.
The Falcons also have guards Robert Leff, Trevor Robinson and Cornelius Edison on the roster. Andy Levitre is entrenched at left guard.
3. Fullback battle: The Falcons must also replace fullback DiMarco, who signed with Buffalo during free agency.
DiMarco was a dependable lead blocker and pass catcher out of the backfield. He played 324 of the offensive snaps (31.2 percent) last season.
The Falcons signed Derrick Coleman and Soma Vainuku in free agency. They also drafted Wyoming’s Brian Hill in the fifth round.
Coleman played five seasons in Seattle and Vainuku played at USC under Sarkisian.
The Falcons led the league in yards per play (6.59 yards), yards per passing play (8.23) and points (33.8 points).
Filling the key power positions of right guard and fullback will be key to the offense’s continued success.
4. Defensive line changes: Defensive tackle Dontari Poe was the Falcons’ major offseason pickup in free agency.
He’ll work next to Grady Jarrett along the interior of the defensive line. Defensive end Jack Crawford was signed in free agency.
They are essentially replacing veterans Tyson Jackson and Jonathan Babineaux, who were not re-signed by the team.
The Falcons have plenty of things to improve defensively. They ranked 26th in rushing yards per play (4.52 yards), 28th in passing yards (266.7), 26th in sacks per pass attempts (5.19), tied for 29th in first downs per game (22.4), 26th in third down percentage (41.78), 32nd in red zone percentage (72.73) and 27th in points allowed (25.4).
Improvement starts up front, with defensive line coach Bryant Young replacing Bryan Cox.
5. Injury list: Defensive end Adrian Clayborn (torn biceps), cornerback Desmond Trufant (pectoral surgery), wide receiver Julio Jones (foot), defensive end Takkarist McKinley (shoulder surgery) and defensive end Derrick Shelby (Achilles surgery) are not expected to practice.